In Dragon Ball: A brutal beating of Frieza at the start

Page 187

Lin Ye shook his head, his tone firm: "No, time waits for no one. The power of the Origin Tree is within me, and only I can perceive the location of the fragments with the most precise accuracy. Sending anyone else would only be a waste of time. Don't worry, I won't be reckless. If I encounter any danger that I can't handle, I will contact you immediately."

Seeing Lin Ye's resolute attitude, everyone knew that further persuasion was useless, so they had no choice but to stop objecting. Vegeta stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Remember, Saiyans can be defeated, but not knocked down. If you really encounter someone you can't handle, don't try to tough it out; we'll rush over to help."

"I understand." Lin Ye smiled.

For the next three days, everyone was busy preparing. Lin Ye spent each day in the treatment pod recovering his Origin Power, feeling the energy within his body gradually filling up; Vegeta and Trunks immersed themselves in the gravity training room, adjusting the gravity multiplier to the limit and frantically honing their combat abilities; Bulma worked day and night modifying the three spacecraft, adding inter-universe jump engines, Origin Energy detectors, and high-strength protective shields to ensure flight safety.

Five days later, Lin Ye had finally fully recovered. He stepped out of the treatment pod, stretched his body, and golden Origin Power flowed around him, filling him with a sense of power. In the plaza of the Temple of Time, three brand-new aircraft were ready, gleaming with a silvery-white luster.

The crowd gathered in the square, their expressions solemn. Anise walked up to Lin Ye and handed him a talisman made from the bark of the Tree of Origin, inscribed with complex golden runes: "This talisman contains the protective power of the Tree of Origin. It will automatically deploy a shield when you encounter danger, helping you withstand one fatal attack."

Lin Ye took the amulet and held it tightly in his hand: "Thank you, Anise. You must also be careful. After finding the fragments, we will meet at the Temple of Time."

"Don't worry!" Bulma waved and boarded her aircraft first. "We'll definitely be back before you!"

Vegeta and Trunks boarded another aircraft. Vegeta leaned out of the porthole and said, "Don't fall too far behind, or it'll be too embarrassing!"

Lin Ye smiled and boarded his own spacecraft. As the engines of the three spacecraft started simultaneously, blue flames shot out, and they slowly rose into the air, flying in three different directions and disappearing into the depths of space.

Lin Ye sat in the driver's seat, watching the Origin Tree outside the window gradually shrink, and carefully put the amulet away. He knew that the journey to find the Origin Fragments would be fraught with danger, but in order to protect the Seventh Universe and for his companions, he had to forge ahead.

The spacecraft pierced through the atmosphere and entered the vast universe. Lin Ye adjusted his course and flew towards the direction of the Eighth Universe. On the holographic screen, the coordinates of the Origin Fragment flashed red, as if beckoning him.

Just then, the spacecraft's detectors suddenly sounded an alarm, and a warning popped up on the screen: "Unknown energy fluctuations detected, rapidly approaching!"

Lin Ye's heart tightened, and he immediately gripped the control stick, his eyes sharply fixed on the front. He knew that the first battle in the search for the Origin Fragment had begun.

Chapter 417: The Trial of the First Universe

The spacecraft's engines emitted a final low hum, slowly extinguishing their lights. Lin Ye leaned back in the pilot's seat, rubbing his slightly sore temples. Looking out at the universe through the porthole, unlike the spacetime turbulence and meteorite fragments that were everywhere at the edge of the Seventh Universe, the space here was as calm as a deep pool of water. Even the starlight seemed to have been carefully arranged, flowing along fixed trajectories.

"The energy field stability of the first universe boundary has been detected at 98.7%, and the integrity of the spatial structure is more than three times the average level of the seventh universe." Alice's electronic voice rang out in the cockpit, and a three-dimensional star map immediately popped up on the screen, in which a planet emitting a soft white light was marked with a striking red dot. "The signal source of the Origin Fragment has been locked, right at the core of the first universe... the Star of Order."

Lin Ye sat up straight and tapped his finger on the control panel: "Prepare landing procedure, avoid the main flight path." He didn't want to be mistaken for an intruder by the people of the First Universe as soon as he arrived. After all, the crisis in the Seventh Universe hadn't reached the point where he needed to force his way into someone else's territory.

The spacecraft slowly passed through the atmosphere of the Star of Order, and the scene below made Lin Ye frown. The buildings on the ground were all cubes and cylinders, their heights as uniform as if measured with a ruler; the crisscrossing streets were so clean that not a single fallen leaf could be seen, and even the dust stirred up by the wind seemed to have been filtered out by some force; even stranger were the pedestrians, all wearing pristine white jumpsuits, walking in unison along both sides of the street, even turning their heads at almost the same frequency.

"This place is way too 'orderly'," Lin Ye muttered to himself, pushing open the car door and getting out. The moment his feet touched the ground, a faint metallic smell filled the air, and the sound of orderly footsteps echoed in the distance, as if some kind of ceremony was underway.

Before he could even get a good look at his surroundings, four soldiers in silver armor quickly surrounded him, their energy rifles pointed at his chest. The red sensor on the leader's helmet flashed, and his tone was icy cold: "Outsider, stop moving immediately and show your identification."

Lin Ye raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm and explained, "I come from the seventh universe, and my name is Lin Ye. I'm not here to cause trouble; I'm here for the Origin Fragment."

"Origin Fragment?" The soldier's tone instantly turned wary, and he pushed his rifle forward further. "That's a sacred relic of the First Universe. Outsiders have no right to touch it. Return to your spacecraft immediately and leave the Star of Order, or we will take coercive measures."

"I must obtain the fragment." Lin Ye's tone turned serious. "The Seventh Universe is facing dimensional invaders, and only the Origin Fragment can help us build a defensive barrier. This is a matter of life and death for billions of people."

"That has nothing to do with the First Universe." The soldier stood firm, the joints of his armor clicking mechanically, clearly ready for battle. "Final warning: evacuate within ten seconds, or open fire!"

Seeing the soldiers' unwavering gazes, Lin Ye knew that reasoning with them was useless. He quietly mobilized the power of origin within him, a faint golden light emanating from his fingertips: "Sorry, I can't leave."

"Fire!" The lead soldier gave the order, and four paralyzing beams shot out instantly. Lin Ye dodged to the side, simultaneously gathering the power of origin to form a fist of light, which he blasted towards the soldier on the far left.

"Watch out!" The soldier hurriedly raised his shield, slamming his fist into its surface. An energy ripple instantly formed, which was then completely absorbed by the shield. Lin Ye was startled and was about to withdraw his force when he heard Alice's warning: "Their shields have energy-absorbing capabilities. Don't use pure energy attacks!"

"You should have said so earlier!" Lin Ye complained, leaping backward to avoid another soldier's sweeping attack. He spread his golden wings, creating a gust of air with each flap, and instantly appeared behind the soldiers, his right leg sweeping out with a whooshing sound.

"Bang!" Before the four soldiers could turn around, they were kicked in the back and stumbled forward. But their reaction was extremely fast. The moment they landed, they adjusted their posture and raised their shields again to form a square defensive array. The shields were tightly fitted together without a single gap.

"This guy is too fast!" one of the soldiers whispered, pressing a button on the side of the shield. Sharp energy blades immediately popped out from the edge of the shield.

Lin Ye narrowed his eyes, just about to launch another attack, when he heard a whooshing sound overhead. He looked up sharply and saw a golden figure descend from the clouds, standing steadily in front of the soldiers. The person wore red armor with gold trim, was nearly two meters tall, had no wings, but exuded an energy fluctuation even stronger than Lin Ye's.

"Step back," the golden-armored man said, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority. The four silver-armored soldiers immediately sheathed their weapons, respectfully stepped back two paces, and stood in a row again.

Lin Ye clenched his fist, the power of origin within him ready to erupt at any moment: "Who are you?"

“I am Atos, the guardian of the First Universe.” The man turned around, his eyes under his helmet flashing with a white light similar to that of the Star of Order. He looked Lin Ye up and down, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Your Origin Power is very pure. It seems you are not just a charlatan.”

"I only want the Origin Fragment, and have no intention of being enemies with the First Universe." Lin Ye got straight to the point. He could sense that Atos's strength was unfathomable, and he might not have a chance of winning if they really fought.

Atos smiled and pointed to a mountain peak that pierced the clouds in the distance. The mountain was also a standard pyramid shape, with a surface as smooth as if it had been polished: "I can give you the Origin Fragment, but you have to pass the trial first. There are three levels on that Order Mountain, and each level has a guardian. As long as you can pass through them, the fragment is yours."

"Is it really that simple?" Lin Ye asked with some skepticism.

“Easy?” Atos raised an eyebrow. “Last year, there was a guy from the Third Universe who boasted he could shatter an asteroid with one punch, but he didn’t even make it past the first hurdle and slunk back home. If you’re scared, it’s not too late to leave now.”

"Afraid? I've fought my way here from the Seventh Universe, and I've never been afraid of anyone." Lin Ye said stiffly, then turned around, spread his golden wings, and flew towards Mount Order.

Athos watched his retreating figure and instructed the soldiers behind him: "Keep a close eye on his movements, and don't let those rigid guards cause any trouble."

"Yes, my lord."

Ten minutes later, Lin Ye arrived at the foot of Order Mountain. There were no steps at the foot of the mountain, only a smooth stone wall. In the center of the stone wall stood a five-meter-tall stone figure, whose giant hammer was larger than Lin Ye himself.

"Outsider, halt!" The stone man's voice was like the clashing of boulders. "If you want to climb the mountain, first take one of my hammer blows."

Lin Ye directly condensed a spear of light and thrust it into the opponent's chest. With a "ding," only a shallow mark was left. "This little bit of strength isn't even enough to tickle me," the stone man sneered, slamming his giant hammer heavily into the ground.

"Boom!" A crack several meters wide appeared in the ground. Lin Ye hurriedly dodged: "What heavy power!" He noticed that the rock at the stone man's joints was lighter in color, which was obviously a weak point. He immediately seized the opening after the stone man swung his hammer and rushed to smash it down on the knee.

"Crack!" The stone golem's knee cracked open, and it swung its hammer in a counterattack. Lin Ye dodged and then attacked its joints repeatedly. After a dozen or so strikes, the stone golem's movements became increasingly sluggish. Lin Ye gathered all the power of origin within him into a three-meter-long spear of light, precisely stabbing it towards the energy core in the golem's chest.

"No!" the stone golem roared in defense, but it was too late. The spear of light pierced its chest, and the stone golem crashed to the ground, turning into rubble.

"First challenge passed," Atos's voice came. "The second challenge is halfway up the mountain, so don't let your guard down."

Lin Ye climbed up the mountainside along the cracks in the rock wall. The platform was deserted, with only the eerie sound of wind. "Come out, stop hiding." He formed a protective shield around himself.

The shadow suddenly writhed, and a dark figure instantly appeared behind him, claws lashing out. Lin Ye dodged to the side, but his punch passed right through him. "What's the use if you can't hit me?" the dark figure's mocking voice rang out, its form flashing across the platform.

Lin Ye was suddenly struck hard in the back, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He simply closed his eyes, mobilized the power of origin to sense energy fluctuations, and quickly caught a faint aura from his left rear. He then turned around abruptly and unleashed a light fist.

"How is this possible?" The shadowy figure solidified slightly after being struck... It was a masked man dressed in black, with green eyes. "You can actually sense me?"

"Energy fluctuations don't lie." Lin Ye flexed his wrists, then precisely tracked the shadowy figure's trajectory. After a dozen or so exchanges, the shadowy figure's aura gradually weakened. Lin Ye condensed a lightsaber, cleaving open the opponent's mask, and taking advantage of its moment of terror, pierced its chest with the sword. The shadowy figure dissipated into black smoke.

"Second level passed." Atos's voice rang out again. "The final level is at the mountaintop. Watch out for that guy's elemental magic."

Lin Ye climbed to the top of the mountain and saw a magician wearing a blue robe, with a staff inlaid with gems in his hand, and water, fire and lightning elemental light spots floating around him.

"Outsider, you've got some skill getting past the first two trials, but this one can't be overcome by brute force," the mage said in an ethereal tone.

"Enough talk, let's get started." Lin Ye gripped his lightsaber tightly.

With a flick of the mage's staff, flames coalesced into a vortex that swept towards them. Lin Ye conjured a protective shield to defend himself, but the opponent then summoned floods and lightning, forming a cage of water and fire. Knowing he couldn't simply defend passively, Lin Ye spread his wings and weaved through the attacks, attempting to close the distance.

"Want to come over? Not so easy!" The mage froze the ground into ice, raising ice spikes to block the way. Lin Ye shattered the ice spikes with his lightsaber, using the recoil to leap in front of the mage, his lightsaber pressed against the mage's chest.

"Impossible!" The mage's expression changed drastically, and after a few seconds he said with a bitter smile, "I lost."

Just as Lin Ye sheathed his lightsaber, Atos appeared on the mountaintop, holding a golden fragment in his hand—the Origin Fragment. "Not bad, faster than I expected." He handed the fragment to Lin Ye. "Take this; hopefully it can help you hold off the dimensional invaders."

"Thank you, Atos. If Universe 1 needs it, Universe 7 will never stand idly by." Lin Ye took the fragment and felt the energy within it.

"Hopefully we won't need to use it," Atos said. "I've already replenished the spacecraft's energy. Be careful on your journey."

Lin Ye nodded, spread his wings, and flew towards the spacecraft. He looked down at the Origin Fragment, his eyes filled with determination. This was just the beginning; next, he would have to search for fragments in other universes.

After Lin Ye left, Atos said to the air, "Closely monitor the movements of the dimensional invaders. If Universe 7 can't hold on, immediately activate the support program."

A "Yes" echoed through the air, and the Star of Order returned to calm, as if the battle had never occurred.

Chapter 418: The Mechanical Crisis of the Third Universe

The spacecraft's engines restarted, leaving a pale blue trail as it sped away from the boundary of the First Universe. Lin Ye carefully placed the first Origin Fragment into the energy storage box, his fingertips tracing the patterns on the box's surface. The gentle energy emanating from the fragment wafted through the box, slightly easing his tense nerves.

"Target: Universe 3, estimated travel time: 18 hours." Alice's electronic voice rang out in the cockpit. The star map on the screen zoomed in and out rapidly, and a galaxy surrounded by countless mechanical satellites gradually became clear. "The energy characteristics analysis of Universe 3 is complete. Mechanical energy accounts for 92%, and organic life energy accounts for less than 5%. It is the region with the highest degree of technological integration in the known universe."

Lin Ye leaned back in his seat, watching the nebula rushing past the window: "Has the location of the Origin Fragment been confirmed? Let's not have it be like last time, where we were shot at as soon as we landed." He still felt a bit helpless thinking about those rigid soldiers in the First Universe.

"The signal source has been preliminarily located in the central region of the Mechanical Star, the core celestial body of the third universe." Alice brought up a 3D model of the Mechanical Star, which was covered with crisscrossing pipes and gears. "However, high-intensity energy fluctuations have been detected on the surface of the Mechanical Star, suggesting that a conflict may be taking place."

Lin Ye sat up straight, his expression instantly turning serious: "Conflict? Is it an internal rebellion or an external invasion?"

"It's impossible to determine at this time. The energy fluctuations are mixed with various mechanical signals, and we need to get closer to analyze them."

Eighteen hours later, the spacecraft reached the outer edge of the atmosphere of the Mechanical Star. Through the porthole, Lin Ye saw a sight he would never forget: the entire planet was covered by a metal dome with a diameter of over ten thousand kilometers, the surface of which was covered with flashing energy cannons and signal receivers; beneath the dome, countless spindle-shaped spacecraft shuttled along fixed routes, like red blood cells in a bloodstream; the buildings on the ground were all skyscrapers constructed of silver-white alloy, connected by transparent pipes, through which hovering capsule vehicles occasionally sped by.

"This place is simply a giant machine," Lin Ye muttered to himself, tapping lightly on the control panel. "Try contacting the control center of Mechanical Star."

Before any communication signal could be sent, a cold, electronic voice suddenly cut into the cockpit: "Foreign aircraft, halt immediately! This is the Mechanical Star Defense System, number X-734. Please present your identification and state your purpose, or you will be forcibly shot down!"

Lin Ye frowned and replied into the communicator, "I come from the Seventh Universe, my name is Lin Ye, and I'm here to search for the Origin Fragment. This matter concerns the safety of all universes, and I need to speak with your highest authority."

There was a full ten seconds of silence on the other end of the communicator, during which Lin Ye could clearly hear the crackling of electricity. Just when he thought the other party was about to open fire, the electronic voice sounded again: "Landing is permitted. Please follow the guidance signal to Helipad No. 3. The Mechanical King will meet with you in person, but please abide by all the regulations of the helipad. Any violation will trigger the defense mechanism."

"Finally, I've met someone reasonable." Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief and steered the aircraft to land following a green guiding beam.

The helipad was a huge, suspended metal plate, its surface engraved with intricate energy patterns. As soon as Lin Ye opened the car door, six metallic scraping sounds rang out simultaneously, and six soldiers covered in dark alloy armor surrounded him. Their arms could freely deform and were now pointing gun barrels at his chest.

"Mr. Lin Ye, please come with us." The lead soldier's voice was devoid of emotion, and the scanning light on his armored helmet swept over Lin Ye continuously. "The Mechanical King is waiting for you in the central control room. In the meantime, please do not attempt to resist or escape."

Lin Ye raised his hands to indicate his cooperation: "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight. But your way of treating guests is far worse than that of the First Universe."

The soldier didn't respond, only gesturing for them to proceed. Following them through a corridor filled with surveillance cameras, Lin Ye finally entered the central control room. It was less a control room and more like a massive mechanical core. The entire space was enveloped in transparent energy crystals. On the central platform, a figure with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a tracked vehicle stood with his back to him, dozens of data cables extending from behind him, connecting to giant control consoles on the surrounding walls.

"The warriors of Universe 7 have arrived?" The figure on the platform slowly turned around, and Lin Ye could finally see his appearance: his left cheek was normal human skin, but his right cheek was covered with metallic patterns, his left eye was an electronic eye flashing red light, and he could even see exposed gear structures at the corner of his mouth.

"Are you the Mechanical King?" Lin Ye asked.

“That’s right, I am the supreme administrator of the Machine Star.” The Machine King’s voice was mixed with electronic synthesized sounds, which sounded a bit strange. “I know you’re looking for the Origin Fragment, but before that, you have to help us solve a big problem. Otherwise, let alone the fragment, it’s questionable whether you can even leave the Machine Star alive.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the holographic projection on the control panel suddenly lit up, displaying a mechanical monster hundreds of meters tall. Its entire body was covered in thick black armor, its arms could freely transform into laser cannons and chainsaws, and its thrusters spewed blue flames, each step causing the ground to tremble violently. At that moment, it was wreaking havoc in the eastern city of the Mechanical Star, alloy buildings being smashed to pieces like paper before it.

"What is this thing?" Lin Ye's pupils suddenly contracted. He could feel that the monster was emitting energy fluctuations similar to those of the Origin Fragment.

"It's called 'Guardian God of War,' and it's the ultimate defensive weapon we've spent ten years developing." The Mechanical King's electronic eyes flashed red, his tone full of helplessness. "Its core uses scraps from the Origin Fragment as its energy source, originally intended to defend against potential external enemies. But three days ago, it suddenly went out of control."

"Out of control? What happened?"

“We have detected that its core program has been tampered with by an unknown virus.” The Mechanical King pulled up a code stream, which was interspersed with black, twisted symbols. “This virus is extremely corrosive. It has not only controlled the Guardian God of War, but is also constantly devouring the energy of the Origin Fragment. If this continues, the entire energy network of the Mechanical Star will be contaminated by the virus in less than half a day, and then this place will become a wasteland.”

Lin Ye stared at the red crystal flashing on the monster's chest in the projection, and suddenly realized something: "That virus's target isn't the Mechanical Star, it's the Origin Fragment! It's accumulating energy through the Guardian God of War, and its ultimate goal is to corrupt the complete fragment in your hands!"

“You’re right.” Mechanical King nodded. “We’ve tried using electromagnetic pulse attacks and sending mech units to encircle and annihilate it, but nothing worked… Its armor can withstand electromagnetic interference, and ordinary weapons can’t break through it at all. Now, the only one we can count on is you, who also possess the power of origin.”

Lin Ye rubbed his chin, his mind racing. He needed the Origin Fragment, but if he didn't deal with this mechanical monster, he wouldn't only fail to obtain the fragment, but he might even be targeted by the virus. After a moment's deliberation, he looked up: "I can help you, but I have one condition. After you've dealt with the Guardian God of War, you must hand over the Origin Fragment to me free of charge."

“No problem.” The Mechanical King agreed without hesitation. “As long as we can stop it, a fragment is nothing. I’ll prepare the best equipment for you right away. The ‘Armor Breaker’ fighter jet is our most maneuverable and powerful fighter jet at the moment. It’s equipped with an energy ion cannon and should be able to damage the Guardian God of War.”

Half an hour later, Lin Ye, wearing a specially designed impact-resistant flight suit, sat in the cockpit of the "Armor Breaker" fighter jet. The jet was entirely black, and its streamlined fuselage resembled a sharp dagger. The holographic control panel inside the cockpit instantly reminded him of the combat mechs of Universe Seven.

"The fighter jet parameters have been synchronized. The energy-concentrating ion cannon requires 15 seconds to charge and has an effective range of 5 kilometers." Alice's voice blended with the fighter jet's intelligent system. "The Guardian God of War is currently attacking the energy core tower, which is 8 kilometers away from us."